eDNA found Ecuador's Jambato frog—but only in a minority of water samples
WHAT THE EVIDENCE SAYS
A year of intensive field surveys recorded 71 Jambato frogs, including six tadpoles, at the species' only known locality. Targeted eDNA sampling detected the frog in 5 of 18 water samples, all during the wet season and often near tadpole habitat.
WHY IT MATTERS / OUR READ
For rare-species surveillance, eDNA can extend detection beyond visual encounters, but absence from a sample is not strong evidence of absence from the site. Season, life stage and sampling design remain part of the observation process.
CAVEATS / UNCERTAINTY
Detection probability was low and seasonally concentrated, and the study concerns one remnant population. Results support eDNA as a complementary tool, not a stand-alone census or proof that nondetections indicate local extinction.
SOURCE
Conservation Science and Practice · Original evidence
View original evidence ↗
At the critically endangered frog's only known locality, wet-season eDNA detections show promise for low-density monitoring while also exposing substantial nondetection risk.
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